Nonprofit Organizations

Helping you achieve your organization's mission

Northern Trust understands the challenges that nonprofits face in today’s uncertain economic environment, and are committed to supporting you in effectively and efficiently achieving your mission.

Working with endowments and foundations worldwide, Northern Trust provides a wide spectrum of sophisticated investment solutions, strategic insights and world-class resources. We can help you develop your mission, create the strategy to achieve it and provide broad-based administrative and investment oversight of your program.

Special Webinar: "Trends In Responsible Investing: What They Mean to Nonprofits"

Held: Tuesday, August 26, 2014

This call featured Marguerite Griffin, National Director of Philanthropic Services and Mamadou-Abou Sarr, Global Head of ESG, discussing the themes and trends in asset growth, asset class demand and various investor preferences related to ESG and SRI, as well as future trends in impact investing. They will also offer guidance for defining, measuring and monitoring investment objectives and risk associated with these strategies.

The Why of Generosity: The Economics Of Why We GiveMarch 4, 2014The conversation with Dr. List focuses on what motivates people to give, the economics of charitable giving, and how we should rethink fundraising tactics.

Mel Clark

Mel Clark

Managing Director - West Region

Melvin Clark is a Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Northern Trust’s Western Region Institutional Investment Services.

Mel has over twenty years of professional experience in banking and entertainment management. Prior to joining Northern, he spent seventeen years with Bankers Trust Company in Los Angeles. Nine years were spent working in corporate finance, focusing on Fortune 1000 companies in Los Angeles. For the last eight years, Mel was a Director and Senior Relationship Manager in the Private Banking Group, doing business with high net worth individuals, family offices and privately held companies. Mel also spent seven years with Citicorp's Private Banking Group, servicing high net worth individuals with complex loan structuring, asset management and estate planning. Additionally, for two years, he served as Chief Executive Officer of the Stevland Morris Company, overseeing investment management and tour and album contract negotiations for Stevie Wonder.

Mel received a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Babson College. He is a member of the Board of Directors and the Board Affairs Committee for Five Acres, The Boys’ and Girls’ Aid Society of Los Angeles County. Mel is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Goodwill Industries of Los Angeles. He is Board Chair of the Pasadena Mental Health Center in Pasadena.

Darius Gill

Darius Gill

Managing Director - Central Region

Darius is a Senior Vice President and Managing Director for the Central Region in our Foundation and Institutional Advisory Services practice. Functionally, Darius leads a team of investment professionals and asset servicing experts who specialize in helping institutional clients design, build and implement investment strategies consistent with the goals of their organization. Prior to joining Northern Trust, Darius was a Chief Investment Officer with another financial organization. Darius has over 20 years experience in the investment industry in both the institutional and high-net worth sides of the business.

Academically, Darius earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University Of Wisconsin at Madison, and subsequently was awarded an M.B.A. from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University. In his professional affiliation, Darius is a member of the Investment Analysts Society of Chicago and has been awarded the C.F.A. (Chartered Financial Analyst) designation. Darius and his wife Elizabeth live in Clarendon Hills with their two children. Both Darius and Elizabeth are active in charitable and civic activities.

James Tucker

James Tucker

Managing Director - East Region

Jim Tucker is a Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Northern Trust’s Foundations and Institutional Advisors practice. Jim leads a multi-disciplined team of investment, fiduciary and asset servicing professionals in the East Region. The team serves foundations, endowments and not-for-profit clients exclusively.

Prior to joining Northern Trust Jim led the institutional investment consulting practice at Deloitte & Touche where he also served on the firm’s investment policy committee. Jim transitioned to Deloitte from Arthur Andersen in 2002 where he provided investment consulting services to high net worth individuals and institutional investors. He began his investment career in 1983 with a national brokerage firm and also spent over 12 years with a major regional bank advising a variety of institutional investors.

Jim received a B.S. degree in Finance from Virginia Tech and an M.B.A. from Georgia State University. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the Atlanta Society of Financial Analysts.

The Situation

Given the turbulent market environment, a nonprofit organization was experiencing declining donor contributions and having trouble sustaining the foundation.

Customized, integrated solutions

We worked with the board to assess the organization’s current situation, including an analysis of spending and donation inflows and their current investment program. The analysis showed that spending levels were not in alignment with current investment policy. As a result, our team worked with the investment committee to assist in:

Tailoring a new investment program that reflected the nonprofit's goals and risk tolerance and delivered diversification across multiple managers, investment styles and asset classes

Putting into place a process for frequent and consistent portfolio monitoring and rebalancing

Evaluating key reporting capabilities to ensure that current systems capabilities were meeting the needs of the organization as well as the most recent compliance and regulatory requirements

Foundation & Institutional Advisors is our dedicated practice at Northern Trust, committed to serving nonprofit organizations. When you choose Northern Trust, you can expect an organization grounded in a tradition of fiduciary excellence and integrity for 125 years; an experienced, collaborative partner who will work with your staff; a world-class diversified asset manager and custodian distinguished by award-winning service — and a record of stability demonstrated by credit quality, solid credit ratings and a highly liquid balance sheet.

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Our Services

Investment Management for NonprofitsNorthern Trust's fiduciary responsibilities guide our investment management decisions. We seek to add value through an investment process that is driven by your organization's goals and includes a wide spectrum of investment capabilities that can be tailored to your needs.